Agitating means for hoppers



AGITATING MEANS FOR HOPPERS Filed April 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l t I'r Vw,

AGITATING MEANS FO R HOPPERS Filed April 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 22,1930

AGITATING MEANS FOR HOPPERS Application filed April 29,

Hoppers for granular material having opposed downwardly converging wall portions and an outlet at the lower portion of the hopper are very apt to cause arching of the material so that it will not properly discharge from the hopper. This is particularly true .in connection with feeding means for pulverized or granulated fuel withthe result that the screw conveyor or the like to which the hoper discharges, often rotates idly without ceding any fuel to the furnace or the like. It is the object of my invention however to provide new and improved means of exceptionally simple and inexpensive nature whereby the fuel or the like at opposite sides of the hopper is maintained in a loosened condition and hence is prevented from arching betweenthe opposed inclined portions of the hopper walls.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter herein,- after'described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing. Q i

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portionof a fuel eeder equipped with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional vie Fig. 3 is a horizontal section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig.4: is a transverse sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

A hopper 5 is shown whose side walls are provided near .their lower ends with downwardly converging, opposed portions 6 for guiding fuel to the contracted lower portion of the hopper, from which portion a passage 8'leads to a furnace (not shown). A screw-conveyor 9 is shown in the passage 8 and the hopper portion 7 for carrying fuel discharged into the latter to the furnace,

' and this conveyor is. usually driven by a thermostatically-controlled electric motor (not shown). I i r I form bearing openings 10 through the wall portions 6 at rightangles to the flat inner and outer sides thereof and in these openings I mount short inclined shafts 11. Secured to the inner ends of these shafts and lying against the inner sides of the wa l por- 1929. Serial No. 359,151.

tions 6, are inclined agitators 12 preferably of the diamond shape shown. 'Secured to the outer ends of the shafts 11, are inclined spur gears 13 which lie against the outer sides of the wall portions 6. Two of the gears 13 are near the outer' end 14 of the hopper 5 and all of the gears 13 at each side of the hopper are in mesh with each other.

A transverse horizontal. shaft 15 is mountedin appropriate bearings 16 at the, 6 outer end 1 1 of the hopper 5 and two vertical spur gears 17 are secured to this shaft, said gears meshing with the gears 13 toward the hopper end 14. While the gears 17 are vertical and the gears 13 inclined, I find that with loose meshing, I can cause said gears 17 to satisfactorily drive the gears 13 for the purpose of rotating the agitators 12. These agitators keep the fuel or other material loose along the wall portions 6 and 7 prevent it from arching above the screw conveyor 9 so that a difliculty heretofore encountered is efie'ctively overcome.

Suitable provision is preferably made for driving the shaft 15 by means of the same 7 motor which drives the screw conveyor 9 and as it .may be advisable to drive the agitators 12 at different speeds according to the character of the fuel or the like being fed, provision may be made for-attaining this end. Upon shaft 15, I have shown a relatively large spur gear- 18 and upon a motor driven shaft 191 have shown comparatively small and large gears 2021. Gear 20 is shown in mesh with gear'18 but appropriate provision may be made whereby t e necessary movement of parts may take place to allow the larger gear 21 to mesh with said gear 18, thereby driving the latter at a greater speed.

Attention is invited to the extreme simplicity of the device. The agitators 12 lying against the inner. sides of the wall portions 6 and the gears 13 lying against the outer sides of said portions effectively hold the 95 shafts '11 against wobbling even thou h they may be only loosely mounted in the caring openings 10. Then too, by meshing certain of the inclined gears 10 with the vertical gears 17 driving connections are obtained'loo between said gears 13' and thexshaft 15 'which will be adequate for the purpose intended, yet will 1' uire no expensive and accurately machined e ement's.

,On account of the existing advantages for the exact details disclosed, they are prefer- .ably followed. However, within the scope ofthe invention as claimed, variations may be made.

I claim In combination with a hopper having side walls provided converging portions; short inclined shafts passing rotatably through said opposed Wall portions at horizontally spaced points, in-

clined agitators secured to the inner ends of said shafts and lying against the inner sides of said wall portions, inclined spur gears secured to the outer ends of said shafts and lying against the outer sides of said wall portions, two of said inclined gears being disposed near one end of said hopper and all of said inclined gears at each side of the hopper being in mesh with each other, a transverse horizontal drive shaft mounted at said one end of the hopper, and vertical spur gears. secured to said horizontal shaft and meshing with said two inclined gears. In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature. 7 p

CHARLES TAURIAINEN.

with opposed downwardly- 

